I found this to be an outstanding course- there could not be a better introductory course for persons new to rope, as I am. Dan is an exceptional instructor- he teaches rope skills very effectively, but as important, he made me comfortable as a new learner to rope and he teaches an awareness of the importance mutual consent and respect. He is a very good teacher of effective mutual communication and consent. Dan was assisted by several outstanding associates who were very helpful in the learning process- Fairy and Spectrum. Fairy was particularly helpful to me on a one-on-one basis to understand and practice negotiation techniques.

All Tied Up San Diego is an amazing community led by a wonderful guy that knows his stuff without being arrogant. I’ve dabbled in the rope and kink community for over 10 years and when my husband approached me about taking a 101 Rope class, I was doing it just for him. But I learned so much and enjoyed every minute. Dan teaches that it is so much more than just tying and being tied, it’s about connection and creativity. It’s not just learning the basics, it’s learning why something is done the way it is and how it can be incorporated in more advanced settings later. Always, always safety first. Whether you are new to rope, or looking to get back into it; whether you are a top, bottom, or not sure, I honestly couldn’t recommend this class and community any higher. Best thing my husband convinced me to do.

This is a great fundamentals course that covers rope bondage basics. While a majority of this was review, there were some fundamentals I never learned. This allowed me to slow down a bit and really take the time to focus on the basics. It also fostered a greater connection with my rope bottom. A great aspect of this course is explaining things from the rope bottom’s perspective as well as the top. The basics of negotiation and vetting can be used for all forms of BDSM. The course was more interactive that one would think an online course would be. The folks at ATUSD really worked hard in creating a a detailed course and rope community.

The classes are detailed and cover more than just knots in a vacuum. All the soft skills around vetting and negotiations are covered in depth. The exercises help develop the muscle memory you need to advance to the point where you can focus on your partner instead of focusing on the rope.

In the way of criticisms, I fault them for not offering me the luxury of an ATU class immediately outside the doorstep of my Pasadena apartment. Alas, with the advent of their online course, I selfishly couldn’t be happier! 😉 And in an astonishing feat, SirKnottyDan and his cohorts have managed to capture some of the magic of the in-person experience in their new online course. What is that magic you ask? It’s hard to say with words, but I’ll give it the old college try. It’s fun, practical, and approachable.

Fun: It’s not just that it’s kinky, it goes beyond that to create a real sense of community. SirKnottyDan and his cohorts really care about managing the community. To me that feels like it’s at the core of everything. And in my humble opinion, this is really cool because it makes us all feel connected and easy to get along with. It makes it so that the experience of participating feels very connected to what’s going on in the culture and the people you come to know and be friends with.

Practical: In my experience, we don’t beat around the bush. First class we were tying people up. A great experience because the safety is impressed upon you and instructed very well. And then you’re beginning your approach to the stuff you’ve always wanted to. It’s no nonsense. And the craziest thing is that when you learn to tie properly, you can see how it helps other aspects of your life as well… such as tying my queen-sized mattress to the roof of my car like a boss when I moved. That baby was solid!

Approachable: Before I got into the kink world, I thought I needed to be prepared for an intimidating experience a la opening scene of Blade in a dark club with blood pouring down all over me. I’m sure you can find this… but it definitely wasn’t All Tied Up. I’m happy to report that I was warmly welcomed in and assisted with partnering up to ensure I had a great experience.

I hope you found this review helpful. I also hope to see you in the community! Cheers!

-Damien Blank

Very well put together instructional videos covering everything to step into an intimate skill while learning through online.

Dan,

Thank you so much for a great class. As a beginner, you managed to reinforce and introduce several ideas that were floating in my head, you expanded on these ideas nicely. I have put years of thought into this, but have never had the opportunity to start. This is a great start. You have created the desire to do more of your classes (vetting for one), and I only wish I could be there in person rather than on the other side of the country. You were able to guide my thoughts on creating a scene into more of a structure, which will help a lot. Thanks

Super informative. Really made me feel comfortable and confident about starting to find people to play with. I wish vetting was a normal practice in the vanilla world!

I just attended the online class Learn the Language of BDSM Negotiation. I love how thorough the class is. He goes through specific examples of what to ask and even how to phrase questions to get the answers you need without coming off as too much. The class is supposed to be mostly for rope but I think anyone into kink and BDSM can benefit. I definitely did!

I’m really glad I stayed up late to get the information presented in this class, and to ask a question that has been on my mind for some time.